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Judges 14:1-15:20
In chapter 15 Samson's own men came and bound him up in order to hand him over to the Philistines. They didn't realize that Samson's strength was from the Lord and their ropes would do them no good. I love when the scriptures says "The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him in power." Samson is being used of the Lord to destroy the Philistines!! God was on his side, he had supernatural power, he was a superhero all because God assigned him to be one before he was even born!! Would Samson save the world? Would Samson become the greatest superhero ever to live? Or would his assignment cut short because of his love for women...we will have to see tomorrow.....
John 7:14-44
I found a really interesting nugget in this chapter. Verse 26 "the crowd" which represents the general poplulation of the day, say "Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?"
The crowd was not about to believe Jesus teachings until the authorities concluded he really was Jesus. They trusted the authorities instead of searching for themselves.
The church today does the same thing. We believe anything "the authorities" say instead of checking the Bible. That is how many denominations are so off based. The authorities can say and make up anything they want and the people will believe because of their position. Martin Luther was kicked out of the church for going against "the authorities". He chose to believe in grace by faith rather than being saved by works after he read the Bible.
There was a Jewish man I once worked with who had never even read the Old Testament. I was amazed. He just believed what the synagogue told him to believe instead of discovering for himself what the word of God said.
When the leadership is corrupt we go with the leadership because they are leaders but we need to follow the Bible over anything!!! What the Bible says is truth and life and our guidebook. No matter how important the person, we need to follow God's word first!!
Proverbs 11:29-12:7
Look at all the good things the Lord has promised the righteous in just 9 verses!!!
The righteous: their fruit is a tree of life, they win souls, they receive their due on earth, they obtain favor from the Lord, cannot be uprooted, their plans are just, their speech rescues them and their home stands firm. I want to be righteous!
Judges 2:6 - 3:31
Here we go... the book of Judges. You would think nothing could top the obedience/disobedience cycle of the first 6 books of the Bible. But, oh no, we are embarking on yet another book where we just shake our heads in disgust. Around and around we go. Verse 10 "after that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel." This verse and ensuing chapters really challenge me as a mother. I not only want but NEED my children to experience God for themselves. I can tell them about the past and what God did but they need a first hand revelation of God's power in their lives. We are really only one generation away, as this verse shows, from being godless. We need to be careful about putting too much emphasis on "way back then" when God did something great. These Israelites had heard the "stories" but they needed something for themselves which they didn't get and instead went off to serve other gods. We need to ask God to move TODAY and show up now in this generation so we can have an active powerful relationship with God.
John 4:27 - 42
Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Get up and tell someone about Jesus. All around you are people just waiting for someone to tell them. We need to be reapers for Jesus in 2009. Your neighbors, co-workers, family and classmates are standing in the field just waiting for a reaper. Be bold. Be unashamed. Ask God for prophetic revelation (word of wisdom) like Jesus had to speak into someone's life and change them for eternity. Not only was this woman's life changed, but because of her testimony, many people in her town were also saved! This is true food, too. Jesus didn't need earthly food to make him feel better he found complete satisfaction in doing God's will. Spiritual work satisfies!!!
Psalm 56:1-13
I have to say this for humor. Many girls in college would quote this scripture: Be merciful to me, O, God, for men hotly pursue me. Ha ha...luckily I never had that problem.
But seriously now I like the line in verse 4 " what can mortal man do to me?" We get so worked up about what others think and will do to us but ultimately God is in control. When we trust Him we do not have to be afraid!
Joshua 13:1-14:15
How excited God must have been to finally be giving the Israelites the towns He had promised them so many years before. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses had all been promised this land flowing with milk and honey but none of them saw the fulfillment. God must have felt like parents do when they can't wait to give a gift to their children on Christmas morning. It is certainly more blessed to give than receive! Heaven must have been full of rejoicing as the Promised Land is now being possessed by the children of Israel.
Luke 24:36-53
Jesus appearances after His death were always positive and assuring to the disciples. Here Jesus emphasizes that EVERY promise from the Old Testament has been fulfilled. Not one detail has been forgotten. The ascension of Jesus must have been a cool thing to see. Jesus is taken up to heaven and the disciples, understandably, have mixed emotions. They are sad to see Jesus go but they have a promise of the Holy Spirit. They really have no idea what this is but they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Psalm 52:1-9
When we trust in money and in ourselves we are unstable and our way is headed for destruction. Here the Psalmists says God will tear you from your home and bad things will happen to you when you love evil and wickedness. People get away with sin for awhile but just like Madoff of today, it catches up with you and the fun is over.
BUT when I trust in the Lord, I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God. I have plenty of food, I grow strong and I am surround by the very presence of God! Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.
Today is a sad day. The Moses era is now behind us. What a special man God used. Even though he made mistakes God still said about him that "the Lord knew face to face." Moses was 120 when he died and he still had his eyesight and his strength. When God ordains you to fulfill a destiny in life He will give you the weakness and strengths that you need. What I mean by weaknesses is that Moses studdered or had some sort of speak problem but God still used him. We also see from this passage that God does order our steps and knows when we are to die. I wonder what Moses thought when God called him to climb the mountain to die? But looking ahead, the Lord has already anointed Joshua to lead the good naughty good naughty good naughty good naughty people into the Promised Land.
Luke 20:27 - 21:4
"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive." I love this verse. God does not see death like we do. For those who are saved it really is just passing from one life to another. Those who are in Christ will never for one moment be apart from God. Not one second. For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Psalm 49:1-20
Quit being jealous of all the rich people in the world. Their riches are only for a moment in the span of eternity. We have something far greater! The last verse is the clincher: a man with riches but without God is as good as an animal when he dies. Ouch.
Deuteronomy 31:30 - 32:52
It's interesting to hear Moses' last song concerning his journey on earth. This recount is coming from one who has spent most of his life speaking face to face with God. What a powerful picture he paints of our God.
God tells Moses to go up on Mount Nebo because he's going to die there. But I love how God's grace is still present in his death. Even though Moses disqualified himself from entering the Promised Land, God allowed him to see it. What a gracious and compassionate God we serve.
Luke 19:45 - 20:26
These passages today show me that our God is simply just. I think too many times Christians began making God so much more complicated than we need to. Just like the Pharisees and Saducees were trying to trick Jesus, the simplicity of His message astounded them every time. Stick to the basics--our relationship with Christ!
Psalm 48:9-14
Thank you Lord that You are our guide until the end! We will never walk alone!
Deuteronomy 30:11 - 31:29
This is a very sobering passage. Moses begins by clarifying the fact that the Israelites have free will. They can choose to obey or they can choose to not obey--it's completely up to them. Moses sets them up with their new leader, Joshua, and then commands them to read the law periodically, so as to not forget it. But this passage ends by Moses letting them know in advance that they are not going to choose obedience. Imagine someone laying out for you two options and then telling you that you're not going to pick the right one. Wouldn't you reconsider your decision? Unfortunately for the Israelites, they continued on their beaten path and fulfilled Moses' prophecy.
Luke 19:11-44
We should desire to be diligent with the tasks that God has given us. If it's to serve in the nursery, then that should be the best nursery ever. If it's to serve on the worship team, then we give it our all and make music to the best of our ability. As our faithfulness increases, God will give us more opportunities to be faithful.
We also read today about the Triumphant Entry. The people are excited about Christ entering and Pharisees are critical. However, our God is SO worthy of praise, He will cause the rocks to cry out and praise Him if we don't. Just like the song, "ain't no rock gonna cry in my place!"
Psalm 48:1-8
I enjoy the pictures that are created in the Psalms about the majesty of God and His dwelling, and about the power of His might and the security of His hand.
Deuteronomy 29:1 - 30:10
I love how God is so forgiving--even in our worst sin. Though God would have to punish the Israelites by exiling them, He would also hear their repentant cries and restore them in His infinite love. What a powerful, merciful God.
Luke 18:31 - 19:10
This passage of scripture is one of my favorites. I really draw courage from the blind beggar. He desperately needed a touch from God. When he cried out for that, those around him attempted to silence him by their words. But the Bible says "he shouted all the more". I appreciate this example. Even when there are doubters among us, we are to cry out the Creator--where our help and our strength come from.
Proverbs 10:1-10
Such nuggets of wisdom. I particularly like verse 9. This gives me comfort to know that walking in integrity is a safe way to go--no matter how turbulent it may be, we are safe on that road. Walking any other way is crooked and potentially embarrassing when you are discovered.
